An LCD device has the advantages of portability, low power consumption, and low radiation, and has been widely used in various portable information products such as notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video cameras and the like. Conventionally, there have been three types of LCD devices commercially available: a reflective LCD device utilizing ambient light, a transmissive LCD device utilizing backlight, and a transflective LCD device equipped with a half mirror and a backlight.
With a reflective LCD device, a display becomes less visible in a dim environment. In contrast, with a transmissive LCD device, a display becomes hazy in strong ambient light (e.g., outdoor sunlight). In general, a transflective LCD device can be used as both a reflective LCD device and a transmissive LCD device by switching between a reflective mode and a transmissive mode according to the changes in the environment. Therefore the transflective LCD device is not hampered by problems of poor visibility and haziness, or at least these problems are mitigated somewhat.
Referring to FIG. 6, part of a transflective LCD panel of a conventional transflective LCD device is schematically shown. The transflective LCD panel 1 includes a first substrate 11, a second substrate 12 opposite to the first substrate 11, and a liquid crystal layer 13 between the substrates 11, 12. The first substrate 11 includes a glass base 110. An insulating layer 111, a passivation layer 112, a transparent electrode layer 113, an organic layer 114, and a metal layer 116 are disposed on the glass base 110 from bottom to top in that order. The organic layer 114 partially covers the transparent electrode layer 113, and is thus comprised of a plurality of segments (only one shown). Each segment of the organic layer 114 has a plurality of bumps 1141 thereon. The metal layer 116 is disposed on the organic layer 114, and is thus correspondingly comprised of a plurality of segments (only one shown). Each segment of the metal layer 116 functions as a reflective electrode, and has an undulant surface due to the bumps 1141. As shown in FIG. 6, the area covered by the segment of the organic layer 114 of the transparent electrode layer 113 corresponds to one reflective area of the transflective LCD panel 1, and the other area uncovered by the organic layer 114 corresponds to one transmissive area of the transflective LCD panel 1.
Referring to FIG. 7, this is a flow chart summarizing a method for manufacturing the transflective LCD panel 1. The method generally includes the following steps:                step S10, providing the glass base 110;        step S11, successively forming the insulating layer 111, the passivation layer 112, the transparent electrode layer 113, the organic layer 114, and a first photo-resist layer on the glass base 110;        step S12, exposing and developing the first photo-resist layer to form a first photo-resist layer pattern, using a photo mask with a hole pattern;        step S13, etching the organic layer 114 according to the first photo-resist layer pattern to leave exposed areas of the transparent electrode layer 113, and to form the bumps 1141, the exposed areas of the transparent electrode layer 113 corresponding to the transmissive areas of the transflective LCD panel 1;        step S14, removing the first photo-resist layer pattern;        step S15, depositing the metal layer 116 on the organic layer 114, and depositing a second photo-resist layer on the metal layer 116 and the exposed areas of the transparent electrode layer 113;        step S16, exposing and developing the second photo-resist layer to form a second photo-resist layer pattern on the metal layer 116, using another photo mask;        step S17, etching the metal layer 116 according to the second photo-resist layer pattern to form a plurality of reflective electrodes on the organic layer 114, each of the reflective electrodes being undulant;        step S18, removing the second photo-resist layer pattern;        step S19, filling liquid crystal material on the first substrate 11; and        step S110, providing the second substrate 12, and attaching the first and second substrates 11, 12 together to form the transflective LCD panel 1.        
In order to form the reflective area of the transflective LCD panel 1, the organic layer 114 must firstly be formed on the transparent electrode layer 113, and then the metal layer 116 must be formed on the organic layer 114 only. Two photo mask processes are required, which makes the whole process of manufacturing the transflective LCD panel 1 rather complicated and costly.
What is needed, therefore, is a transflective LCD panel and a method for manufacturing the transflective LCD panel that can overcome the above-described deficiencies.